Students, Fellow Athletes Turn Out to Honor UConn Women

STORRS — For the second day in a row, students and fans celebrated a national championship on the UConn campus. After the men's basketball team had a pep rally Tuesday, the UConn women were honored with a victory lap around campus Wednesday.

The Huskies won their ninth national championship and completed a 40-0 season Tuesday night with a 79-58 win over previously unbeaten Notre Dame in Nashville. But coach Geno Auriemma and his players made sure the crowd knew that the day wasn't all about the women's team.

"I knew right then and there, that's the best thing that could've happened to my players, that was so inspirational," Auriemma said. "You like to share things ... winning is great ... when you win by yourself it's not as meaningful. What makes it even bigger, we're able to share it with the men's team and with the football team, with the track team, with the field hockey team ... we're able to share it with every student-athlete on campus."

Members of the men's basketball team arrived for the rally on Fairfield Way, across from Gampel Pavilion, before the bus carrying the women's basketball team pulled up. They were greeted with cheers and handed pom-poms as the pep band blared the UConn fight song.

Moments later, members of the football team walked across Hillside Road in full practice uniforms. The crowd waited for the UConn women to make a loop around campus, which began on North Eagleville Road.

As students stood outside and watched from the Student Union, the national champions got off the bus and walked through crowds of students to get to the podium.

"I want to thank all of our fans for coming out here today," Manuel said. "This is now completely understood by the rest of this country as the center of the universe in college basketball."

UConn completed a sweep of the men's and women's basketball national championships for the second time. UConn became the first Division I school to win both titles in 2004. No other Division I school has accomplished the feat.

"When we watched the guys play on Saturday, we knew that when they won, that something special was happening," Auriemma said.

Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley, the two senior leaders of the Huskies, spoke to the crowd. Dolson had 17 points and 16 rebounds and Hartley had 13 points in Tuesday's championship game. Both couldn't contain their emotions when they held the microphone.

"Storrs, Conn., isn't the most exciting place ... it wasn't the activities that you could do that made me want to come here," Dolson said. "It was the people, it was the feeling I got when I walked on campus ... playing in front of you guys for four years has been an honor and I'm going to miss it."

Hartley turned to Auriemma and broke down on stage while thanking him.

"Coach, you mean so much to me, and I love you so much," Hartley said. "These fans are amazing."

Manuel ended the celebration by thanking the fans once more, but also sent out one final message about the athletic programs at UConn.

"This is a championship institution," Manuel said. "This is the first time in our history that we have three national championships in one year."

The UConn field hockey team won the national championship Nov. 24, beating Duke, 2-0.

"There's absolutely no doubt, that if you come to school here, you are a champion, and you're going to live with champions," Auriemma said.

To celebrate the Huskies' second basketball championship sweep, both teams will be honored with a parade in Hartford Sunday at 4 p.m.